The number two man on the United Right-Wing list, MK Betzalel Smotrich, who heads the Ichud Leumi faction, is not likely to realize his aspirations of becoming Israel’s next Minister of Justice.

Party representatives are scheduled to enter into coalition talks with Likud representatives this week, and according to a report from Haaretz, Netanyahu is not planning to appoint Ichud Leumi Chairman Bezalel Smotrich to the Justice Minister post. He will however appoint the head of the United Right-Wing list, Rabbi Rafi Peretz, to the post of Education Minister, which he requested. Efforts are reportedly underway according to Haaretz, to persuade Smotrich to accept the Housing Ministry portfolio with broad powers and the two; Smotrich and the Prime Minister, will decide on Its characteristics of those expanded powers.

During the election campaign, Smotrich stated a number of times that his condition for entering the coalition is appointment as the next Justice Minister, to replace Ayelet Shaked, but it appears he will now have to decide how to react to a different reality.

Sources close to the heads of the right-wing parties are ignoring the reports, arguing that the negotiations have not yet begun and that party representatives are still working on the party’s demands document for the Likud.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)